Ranking 5 biggest flops in Manchester City history
Manchester City have developed into one of the most formidable sides in European football at present. Pep Guardiola's got them playing some really free-flowing and elegant football which has helped them win three Premier League titles in the last five years.
The Cityzens are in pole position to claim another top-flight title this campaign. Although today, everyone remembers Manchester City as this well-drilled machine that loves to play possession football and can embarrass any side on any ground, this was not always the case.
Manchester City have had some big flops in their ranks
After a lot of trials and errors, they have constructed some of their best teams over the years, which definitely includes Roberto Mancini's history-making Premier League triumphant side. Naturally, in a process like this, clubs find some crown jewels, players of absolute importance and sometimes they miscalculate.
Manchester City are no different and have had enough miscalculations in their transfer history as well. Highly rated players, in a rich vein of form, arrived at the Etihad and their performances afterwards harmed their own reputation. Here are five of the biggest flops in Manchester City's history.
#5 Nolito
Nolito did all sorts of weird stuff at Manchester City and even ditched learning the the language that could have helped him settle in England. What he did not do was enough goal-scoring, the primary reason why Pep Guardiola signed him in 2016 for €18 million.
At Celta Vigo, the striker played predominantly on the left wing, but was versatile enough to switch to the right. He arrived at Manchester City on the back of three very successful seasons in La Liga, having scored in double figures in all of them. In his last two campaigns in Spain, Nolito emerged as a complete striker and even recorded 13 and seven assists respectively.
Happy 34th b'day, Nolito! 🥳
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The Spaniard had the ingredients to become a Pep Guardiola forward, but he put in little effort to make things work for himself in England. On the field, he had moments of poor conduct and temper, where he was sent off for a crazy headbutt on Adam Smith of Bournemouth. A month later, he did something similar against West Brom, but the striker escaped unpunished.
In 30 appearances for Manchester City, Nolito could only score five goals and provided six assists, with none of those performances particularly standing out.
#4 Benjamin Mendy
Manchester City broke the bank to sign Benjamin Mendy from AS Monaco on the back of a Ligue 1 winning season. The left-back was in the form of his life and was rightly being hailed as one of the best in his position in Europe. But the defender, who once used to be a workhorse for former clubs Marseille and Monaco, failed to maintain his fitness in England.
So Guardiola's team had paid €57.5 million for a player who, in his four seasons at the club, failed to even touch the 20 Premier League appearances mark. Mendy also became the weak link in Manchester City's rearguard, with his contribution in the attacking-third being minimal.
BREAKING 🚨 BREAKING 🚨
Manchester City have suspended Benjamin Mendy pending a police investigation https://t.co/aM925Qr5le
Defensively, he was caught out of position too often and panicked when the strikers ran at him with the ball in one-vs-one situations. Injuries deteriorated the Frenchman further and he has been a shadow of himself from the Monaco days.
The 2018 World Cup winner has made only two appearances this season. He was suspended by Manchester City in the wake of rape and sexual assault charges against him.